Ryan Crowe has been at 5 events

*Back by popular demand.* (And because we don't have anything else to do at 3PM EDT on a Sunday). Join the owners and moderators of the Social Media communities on Google+ (Strategy, Professionals, Creative, and Discussions) as they talk about what is important to you. Okay, that's vague. To be honest, we haven't decided yet, just exactly what we will be talking about. But know this... it will be awesome.
Featuring the likes of @113690073826160821557 @107665939201638457855 @107022061436866576067 @103008963082975341976 @115620878851836664537 @115516333681138986628 @102572320061138442096 and more!
*Also featuring: fewer technical difficulties!*

Join the owners and moderators of the Social Media communities on Google+ (Strategy, Professionals, Creative, and Discussions) as they introduce you to this brand new HOA series: Social Media Hangout! as well as the Social Media communities.
3:00 PM EDT (Eastern Daylight Time - NEW YORK TIME ZONE)
This means: 7:00 PM GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
http://smhangout.com
Featuring the likes of:
@103008963082975341976
@107665939201638457855
@107022061436866576067
@113690073826160821557
@102572320061138442096
@117547081660023231214
@115516333681138986628
and more to come, keep an eye out for announcements this week!
We just may sneak in a few surprises and gifts for viewers, so this is one HOA you definitely don't want to miss.
Brought to you by @109836237376101025302, as well as our wonderful partners: @102987204232298235213 @115515796589038584989 @118277786822373935125 @102577254872201879750 @110898358562182430662 and @116266498226740184904

*Want to Become a Social Media Rockstar?*
There is so much to be gained by building a strong social media presence. Yet how to you do it? It is not simply given to you, you have to go out there and earn it.
Here is the YouTube link! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP7SZzVln-8
Please join +Marty Weintraub and I as we talk about how to do just that. Watch the trailer for more info, or do it just for its amusement value.
The #dmeshow will air on Thursday December 19th at 3 PM ET (Boston time). The live broadcast YouTube link will be posted here about 15 minutes before show time!
Please feel free to share this event or invite others!

*Want to Grow Your Google+ Presence*
This is the YouTube link for the live broadcast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf9U4xLrt1w
Starts at 2 PM ET (Boston time) today!
Learn how participating in Google Plus communities can help drive your success. Please join @115620878851836664537, @107742059751171695340, @115516333681138986628 and I, as we discuss how G+ communities should be a big part of your plan.
The event will be a live broadcast taking place on Thursday November 14th, at 2 PM ET (Boston time). The live YouTube link will be posted shortly before show time.

A G+ Hangout focussing on Social SEO. We've confirmed @107022061436866576067, @107187240364808249726, @101553645463759781942 (from Dell), @103481343935202339450 and @114918475211209783081 will be there! A great opportunity to gain valuable insight into making the most out of your social networks and the communities you manage. Let us know any questions you'd like to ask in the comments below.

This is a great resource for people that don't like to hunt around for keynotes, presentations and webinars. The interface is somewhat minimalist right now. I'd like to have more search options, but hey - this is new and not bad right meow.﻿

Playing around with: http://breakoutroom.co/

This is a great resource for people that don't like to hunt around for keynotes, presentations and webinars. The interface is somewhat minimalist right now. I'd like to have more search options, but hey - this is new and not bad right meow.﻿___

"In the context of Paid Acquisition, the power of Remarketing is undeniable. Being able to interact with those who have already experienced your site is a huge advantage to accelerate the growth of your product. However, there is a more powerful method to maximize the potential value of Remarketing.

"In the context of Paid Acquisition, the power of Remarketing is undeniable. Being able to interact with those who have already experienced your site is a huge advantage to accelerate the growth of your product. However, there is a more powerful method to maximize the potential value of Remarketing.

If we posit that there are multiple universes in which various probable situations play themselves out, a quantum computer would be able to run calculations within all these different universes at once. Greene, who is chairman of the World Science Festival, explains that the implications of such a machine would be tremendous.

#nerd #science #quantumcomputer ﻿

The tl;dr version is pretty much this:

If we posit that there are multiple universes in which various probable situations play themselves out, a quantum computer would be able to run calculations within all these different universes at once. Greene, who is chairman of the World Science Festival, explains that the implications of such a machine would be tremendous.

"CoolSculpting peddles a dream of painlessly getting a better body, of literally zapping problems away with medical technology. It’s easy to be cynical about Zeltiq, and the entire cosmetic weight loss industry, and we should be. But in this case, the bizarre science works. You can freeze your fat and poop it out."﻿

Today I Learned

"CoolSculpting peddles a dream of painlessly getting a better body, of literally zapping problems away with medical technology. It’s easy to be cynical about Zeltiq, and the entire cosmetic weight loss industry, and we should be. But in this case, the bizarre science works. You can freeze your fat and poop it out."﻿___

Really digging this track from Doe Paoro. Beautiful vocals, light synth, drum machine... perfect for waking up. You know, uh, if waking up at 10:30am is a thing you do. And if it IS a thing you do, I'm super jealous. What are other good songs for the morning?

#newmusic #doepaoro #playlist ﻿

A little morning music...

Really digging this track from Doe Paoro. Beautiful vocals, light synth, drum machine... perfect for waking up. You know, uh, if waking up at 10:30am is a thing you do. And if it IS a thing you do, I'm super jealous. What are other good songs for the morning?

If you have 30 minutes, and love ridiculousness, you've got to do yourself a favor and watch this amazing indie film. Tell me how much you love Triceracop in the comments. There have been some pretty amazing fan films on YouTube. What do you think everyone is missing?

#nerd #kungfu #kungfury﻿

Have you seen Kung Fury yet?!

If you have 30 minutes, and love ridiculousness, you've got to do yourself a favor and watch this amazing indie film. Tell me how much you love Triceracop in the comments. There have been some pretty amazing fan films on YouTube. What do you think everyone is missing?

In case you aren't a comic book reader, or if you just haven't read Ant-Man. I like to compile these posts so people can learn a little bit more about a hero before or after they see a movie. Ant-Man comes out next month, a little less than a month actually, July 17th.

What does everyone think about Paul Rudd in this role? I think he's funny, and certainly matches the comedic styling of Scott Lang (Ant-Man!) in the comics. I must say, I never expected him to be a superhero.

Oh yeah, guess I'm back on G+ again. Good to see everyone!

#marvelcinematicuniverse #antman #paulrudd #comicbooks ﻿

Just the Facts: Ant-Man

In case you aren't a comic book reader, or if you just haven't read Ant-Man. I like to compile these posts so people can learn a little bit more about a hero before or after they see a movie. Ant-Man comes out next month, a little less than a month actually, July 17th.

What does everyone think about Paul Rudd in this role? I think he's funny, and certainly matches the comedic styling of Scott Lang (Ant-Man!) in the comics. I must say, I never expected him to be a superhero.

Alright, big news this week as the Suicide Squad cast was made official. Instead of giving you analysis or opinions on what each actor is going to bring to the role, or how CrAzY the producers must be for X decision. We’re here to give you a multimedia study guide for the Suicide Squad giving you, you guessed it, just the facts. Hopefully this will allow you to form your own opinions on whether or not Hancock will make the best Deadshot.

#suicidesquad #suicidesquadmovie ﻿

Suicide Squad Character Guide - For Non-Geeks

Alright, big news this week as the Suicide Squad cast was made official. Instead of giving you analysis or opinions on what each actor is going to bring to the role, or how CrAzY the producers must be for X decision. We’re here to give you a multimedia study guide for the Suicide Squad giving you, you guessed it, just the facts. Hopefully this will allow you to form your own opinions on whether or not Hancock will make the best Deadshot.

Man, it's a great time to be a nerd. Has anyone else been watching The Flash? I think that it would have been really easy to slip into a "get real gritty and dark" show... because, you know, it works for Arrow - and Nolan's Batmans have been banking on that for a decade. But The Flash gives you the lighthearted side of comics from the Scarlet Speedster

#TheFlash #TheFlashcw #nerdstuff #comicbooks ﻿

We're experiencing a Nerdaissance

Man, it's a great time to be a nerd. Has anyone else been watching The Flash? I think that it would have been really easy to slip into a "get real gritty and dark" show... because, you know, it works for Arrow - and Nolan's Batmans have been banking on that for a decade. But The Flash gives you the lighthearted side of comics from the Scarlet Speedster

Imagine Hogwarts, Except the Students Are Assassins instead of Witches and Wizardsreview of Deadly Class

For all of my fellow comic book nerds. The other tagline we use is Kill Bill meets Saved by the Bell. How can you not want to read that? I've also been lucky enough to snag a review from the artist of Deadly Class, Wes Craig. Being able to write about what I love and have the time for a passion project has been a blessing of sorts, so I hope you enjoy reading!

Imagine Hogwarts, Except the Students Are Assassins instead of Witches and Wizardsreview of Deadly Class

For all of my fellow comic book nerds. The other tagline we use is Kill Bill meets Saved by the Bell. How can you not want to read that? I've also been lucky enough to snag a review from the artist of Deadly Class, Wes Craig. Being able to write about what I love and have the time for a passion project has been a blessing of sorts, so I hope you enjoy reading!

People in your organization are going to be connected to social media somehow. It’s inevitable. You can either ban them from speaking on behalf of the company, or teach them that should they be in that position – that there is a right way.

I wrote this bad boy up after creating my magnum voice opus for my current company, there are a ton of resources out there - some I link to in the article. I wish more people would blog about their actual activities at their jobs more often. Hypothetical stuff just isn't interesting when you're looking for practical advice.

#socialmediastrategy ﻿

Why Doesn't Your Company Have a #SocialMedia Voice Document?

People in your organization are going to be connected to social media somehow. It’s inevitable. You can either ban them from speaking on behalf of the company, or teach them that should they be in that position – that there is a right way.

I wrote this bad boy up after creating my magnum voice opus for my current company, there are a ton of resources out there - some I link to in the article. I wish more people would blog about their actual activities at their jobs more often. Hypothetical stuff just isn't interesting when you're looking for practical advice.

Another interview I did with +Shing Yin Khor for Shortboxed. She discusses her journey into reading and creating comics, overcoming industry barriers, and finding a community in which she and others could support each others' efforts.

I love her fantastical creatures (specifically the Larm, and the Space Worm), which are done in a colorful, watercolor.

My favorite quote:Shortboxed: Do you have any advice to minorities that are trying to get into comics, or are trying to get their children into comics?

SYK: Find what you love, because I promise you it is there. It might not be in a comic shop, but it’s there, and it is absolutely worth looking for.

#comics #womenincomics #comicbooks ﻿

Another interview I did with +Shing Yin Khor for Shortboxed. She discusses her journey into reading and creating comics, overcoming industry barriers, and finding a community in which she and others could support each others' efforts.

I love her fantastical creatures (specifically the Larm, and the Space Worm), which are done in a colorful, watercolor.

My favorite quote:Shortboxed: Do you have any advice to minorities that are trying to get into comics, or are trying to get their children into comics?

SYK: Find what you love, because I promise you it is there. It might not be in a comic shop, but it’s there, and it is absolutely worth looking for.

I got to interview Walden Wong for Shortboxed! Walden inked my favorite comic of all time, Superman: Red Son. Shortboxed.com is my current passion project, the comic blog I mentioned yesterday. Gives me an excuse to nerd out with comic book creators.

#comicbooks #doctorstrange #waldenwong ﻿

I got to interview Walden Wong for Shortboxed! Walden inked my favorite comic of all time, Superman: Red Son. Shortboxed.com is my current passion project, the comic blog I mentioned yesterday. Gives me an excuse to nerd out with comic book creators.

Oy, been away for quite some time trying to get used to new job (now, no longer new at +twilio ) and start up some passion projects of mine. Started a new comic book blog aimed at helping people who are trying to get into comics, but are overwhelmed by the massive amount of info on the average comic book website.

What has everyone else been up to? I see that, despite several media stories' naysaying, that the community is still alive and well around these parts.

Have any passion projects you'd like to share?﻿

Oy, been away for quite some time trying to get used to new job (now, no longer new at +twilio ) and start up some passion projects of mine. Started a new comic book blog aimed at helping people who are trying to get into comics, but are overwhelmed by the massive amount of info on the average comic book website.

What has everyone else been up to? I see that, despite several media stories' naysaying, that the community is still alive and well around these parts.

The Biggest Compilation [640] Of Google Plus Tips Ever Shared Publicly!This has been a really time consuming (curated) blog post, but at the end of the day -- it was worth it to create such a piece.

Each one of you whom I've mentioned below has made this massive list of Google Plus Tips possible. Without you -- this list would have never been created.

Sharing is caring!

After viewing the list of Google+ Tips -- Please help me to spread the word about this awesome (HUGE) list of Google+ Tips, by sharing it with your friends here on Google+!.

Some of you, well.. a lot of you will find your name as an author, of a shared post, within this share.

These Google Plus Tips met the requirements and quality standards of making this list. This list contains only the best Google+ Tips (shares) ever made publicly.

With the list being the size it is and the time I already have involved in it -- I couldn't justify pinging everyone. I hope that there will be some of you out there, who may help pinging others, whom I left out.

Note: If some of the "short (pretty) links" aren't "linked" please use copy and paste for the time being. I'm manually linking them right now. I had assumed that they would automatically be linked up, but. Not sure wordpress does this though. :(

Are You Really Building Trust with Social Media?"You probably don't know how trust works."

Thanks to my wonderful +Social Media Hangout amigos, I was able to put into words what I haven't been able to put into words. My issue with the word 'trust' as it relates to building it via social media channels has been a long-standing thorn in my paw. Then, +David Amerland , was able to highlight that the issue isn't the concept of trust, it's the process that leads to attaining trust. Check out the post to see what I was able to learn.

#socialmediamarketing #socialmedia #marketingonline ﻿

Are You Really Building Trust with Social Media?"You probably don't know how trust works."

Thanks to my wonderful +Social Media Hangout amigos, I was able to put into words what I haven't been able to put into words. My issue with the word 'trust' as it relates to building it via social media channels has been a long-standing thorn in my paw. Then, +David Amerland , was able to highlight that the issue isn't the concept of trust, it's the process that leads to attaining trust. Check out the post to see what I was able to learn.

Early G+ evangelist and +SocioloG+ star +Kaylee Goins rocks out with her new band! Hope you indie rock fans will show some support.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are very proud and happy to show you our debut, self-titled EP! Check out our promo video and then head over to www.mediaghostmusic.com to take a listen. And PLEASE please share! Let's get some folks looking at this.

Free downloads for this week only! So go ahead, you sexy bastards. Enjoy.﻿___Early G+ evangelist and +SocioloG+ star +Kaylee Goins rocks out with her new band! Hope you indie rock fans will show some support.

This was written 5 days ago about Internet.org, and author +Alicia Levine called for more transparency, and today +Mark Zuckerberg posted an update on Internet.org http://internet.org/projects announcing the use of drones and satellites to beam Internet down to the 5 billion non-Buzzfeeders who don't currently have access. Neato, gang! ﻿

Internet Access for All!

This was written 5 days ago about Internet.org, and author +Alicia Levine called for more transparency, and today +Mark Zuckerberg posted an update on Internet.org http://internet.org/projects announcing the use of drones and satellites to beam Internet down to the 5 billion non-Buzzfeeders who don't currently have access. Neato, gang! ﻿___

Back by popular demand. (And because we don't have anything else to do at 3PM EDT on a Sunday). Join the owners and moderators of the Social Media communities on Google+ (Strategy, Professionals, Creative, and Discussions) as they talk about what is important to you. Okay, that's vague. To be honest, we haven't decided yet, just exactly what we will be talking about. But know this... it will be awesome.

Social Media Hangout: A Brand New HOA SeriesBrought to you by the Social Media CommunitiesWe'll talk about what's most important to you. No topic is too big for this series. Look forward to in-depth discussions about top posts and topics in the Social Media communities, special guests, surprise giveaways and prizes, interviews, and even some AMA-style Q&A sessions with your favorite Google+ users and thought leaders!

Coming March 2014Sundays at 3:00 pm ET (12:00 pm PT)

Be sure to check out all the communities at SMhangout.com:strategy.smhangout.comprofessionals.smhangout.comcreative.smhangout.comdiscussions.smhangout.com

Of course, our home base is Google+, but that doesn't mean we leave the other networks behind. Find us on Facebook and Twitter:http://facebook.com/smhangoutshttp://twitter.com/smhangouts

"This is the first step in gathering the building blocks, tools and expanded resources for anyone to use. What makes these open source tools even more powerful is support from the community, whether you build a tool to share or help make these current tools better. If you’re interested in contributing to this effort, please contact Meghan Murphy at murphy@twilio.com."

From emergency response to community organization, we built the basic communications apps you need so you can spend less time coding and more time making an impact. This open source kit contains a series of easy-to-use apps you can quickly fork and deploy on the spot.

"This is the first step in gathering the building blocks, tools and expanded resources for anyone to use. What makes these open source tools even more powerful is support from the community, whether you build a tool to share or help make these current tools better. If you’re interested in contributing to this effort, please contact Meghan Murphy at murphy@twilio.com."

Written by +Kristoffer Howes - this post provides an outline of the book's contents - might be useful for some of you thinking about bringing your brand or company to G+.

Get an A+ on G+: Helping You Make the Grade on G+Too many businesses feel like they are failing on Google+. My hope is that this G+ guide will help them earn an A+ for their Google+ marketing efforts.

Preface:

Here's How to Focus on Social Networks That MatterThese 3 steps will help business owners determine which social networks their competitors are using and which resources to focus on, when communicating their own branded message.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/QLJ5AiLgygz

Avoid Being Discouraged By Failed Attempts at Social MediaTo avoid the discouragement of repeated social media marketing failures, it is recommended that businesses focus their brand building and search engine marketing efforts, on satisfying these three principles of social media success.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/8SCLTuA9mWs

Chapter 1: Google+ Basics

Explaining Google+ Circles to Square PeopleIn the parlance of Jazz, a square was a person who failed to appreciate the medium. In more broad terms, it meant someone who was out of date, out of touch, or who clung to repressive, traditional ways of thinking. This reminds me of so many people who are apprehensive about Google+ and cling to Facebook.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/bdcsc6RkcE7

Easy Strategies to Help Your Business Get the Most Out of G+Businesses today need to think more like their consumers, instead of launching massive (intrusive) marketing campaigns to entrap a very small number of people.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/d4QaE2TT9y9

Using a Google+ Brand Page as Your WebsiteThere are a few methods of using a Google+ business or brand page, to act as a simple but very effective website for a small to medium-size business.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/Hd4eEyPY8QS

Let Google and Google+ Greet Consumers For YouWhen a Google+ profile is displayed in Google search results, it provides businesses/brands an opportunity to communicate a carefully sculpted message, to Google's search audience.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/RdnQpdxSYzQ

Optimizing Your Google+ Profile For Search ResultsWhen it comes to optimizing your Google+ profile, the name you select, the description you provide and the content you post, all have an undeniable effect on how your G+ content is indexed by Google; and other search engines.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/7q9Pc9DRccv

Chapter 3: Engaging The Google+ Community

A Good Time to Formally Introduce Yourself and Your BrandWhen someone adds you on Google+, you have been given a valuable brand building opportunity. Take a moment to respond with a branded message that is both informative and inviting.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/2FRXi6GQucF

Google+ Community Posting EtiquetteA few quick tips and reminders for proper posting etiquette in Google+ Communities.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/SNDE6wmhGvp

Chapter 4: Creating The Best Google+ Posts

It Takes Effort to Create The Perfect Google+ PostYou can expect that the effort you put into researching your topic and the time spent generating your post's content, will be rewarded by meaningful engagement from your audience.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/irNZTBhUsBj

A Checklist For Creating The Perfect Google+ PostStep by step guide to create perfect Google+ posts, including choosing a topic, mentioning sources, placing a link, using hash tags and images.https://plus.google.com/+LetsGetSocialCA/posts/35nYoFffKoi

A Google+ Linkbuilding StrategyMany of the the fundamental linkbuilding strategies can be applied to Google+ posts, to increase their visibility in Google search results.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/6f6fGepCsCG

Chapter 5: Get Extra Value From Google+

Google+ Feed Snippet: A 200 Character Sales PitchThe first 200 characters of a G+ post are the most important, because they offer a chance to effectively communicate a branded message in a busy feed.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/9j6n25E2Xe7

The 1st 100 Characters of a Google+ Post are VitalAlthough the 200 character cap is good to be mindful of, the 50 character title and the following 50 characters are super-important when you consider what the post will look like when it is shared by others.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/C1phdzk872r

+1s Can Indirectly Cause Search Results to ImproveWith all things considered, did the correlating number of +1s on a post cause the webpages to appear more favorably in search results? Yes, IMO I believe they did ... indirectly.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/AXeu4ABDQ5C

After Thoughts:

Dream it + Believe it + Plan it = Achieve itI believe that this is a great Formula For Success. I recommend using this approach to address challenges you face or to achieve goals you have set.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/JM9vbxB1JWt

Links, Likes and +1s Should be a True Testament to Your BusinessRegardless of whether they are links or Likes, they must be earned honestly and should be a testament to the integrity of your business and brand.https://plus.google.com/+KristofferHowes/posts/jcSgbjVAojN

===================================================

I have come up with somewhat of a “novel” idea. [pun intended]

I have decided to write my Google+ marketing book on G+ and make it available only on Google+. So, not only is the book ON Google+ (topic), it is written ON Google+ (medium) and seen only ON Google+ (availability).

So now when anyone asks about my Internet marketing [using fingers to make quotation marks] book, I can respond by saying: “its on Google+.”

As well, I choose this approach because I wanted the book to be a constant work in progress that could be updated and revised to reflect the changes in Google+, and marketing on Google+. Too many books that are published become outdated and less useful as time progresses. My hope is that this body of work will be an ongoing project that will evolve with the industry and remain as relevant in 5 or 10 years, as it is today.

I would also like to take a moment to thank some of the people who have in some way made a meaningful contribution to the writing of this book and/or my journey on Google+. In no particular order:

Developing an Advanced Understanding of Social Mediaresources I've used to help me in my career

Hey all, a new post of mine is up over at +SocialFish . I think it's useful for people who already work in digital marketing/social media, but most useful for people who are just getting started.

In the post, I warn of the ills of learning social media by reading the big blogs. There are other not so obvious resource in abundance online. You just have to know where to look, and how to think about social.

I also provide some resources for you to peruse!

#socialmedia #coursera #jobs ﻿

Developing an Advanced Understanding of Social Mediaresources I've used to help me in my career

Hey all, a new post of mine is up over at +SocialFish . I think it's useful for people who already work in digital marketing/social media, but most useful for people who are just getting started.

In the post, I warn of the ills of learning social media by reading the big blogs. There are other not so obvious resource in abundance online. You just have to know where to look, and how to think about social.

I, for one, am amazed that the Minecraft world is so big that it can fit a few Earths. Also... have fun Wikipedia'ing "Quantum Foam".

More on Minecraft's size:

" In practice, technical reasons (the limits of 32-bit math) force the maximum map size, including the Far Lands, to be around 9.3 million times the surface area of Earth, which comes out to about 4.7 quadrillion km2 (The hard limit where chunks are overwritten is at X/Z of ±34,359,738,368, making the world at most 68,719,476,736 meters wide and long, which is about 4,722,366,482,869,645 km2. When compared to Earth's total surface area, 510,072,000 km2, this works out to be about 9,258,235 times that). Whilst the horizontal planes of the maps are vast in size, the vertical plane remains at a fixed (soft limit) 256-block height" via +Wikipedia ﻿

I, for one, am amazed that the Minecraft world is so big that it can fit a few Earths. Also... have fun Wikipedia'ing "Quantum Foam".

More on Minecraft's size:

" In practice, technical reasons (the limits of 32-bit math) force the maximum map size, including the Far Lands, to be around 9.3 million times the surface area of Earth, which comes out to about 4.7 quadrillion km2 (The hard limit where chunks are overwritten is at X/Z of ±34,359,738,368, making the world at most 68,719,476,736 meters wide and long, which is about 4,722,366,482,869,645 km2. When compared to Earth's total surface area, 510,072,000 km2, this works out to be about 9,258,235 times that). Whilst the horizontal planes of the maps are vast in size, the vertical plane remains at a fixed (soft limit) 256-block height" via +Wikipedia ﻿___

Had to pass along this opportunity. We use +Sprout Social at +twilio and +The LittleBigFund - and they are the most helpful people, and capable of explaining their platform to anyone in a way that is easy to understand. And you get to live in Chicago, my old haunt. Say hello to the snow and Lake Michigan for me from somewhat sunny San Francisco.

We're hiring in Chicago! Know anyone who would be a great addition to #TeamSprout? Send 'em our way.

Had to pass along this opportunity. We use +Sprout Social at +twilio and +The LittleBigFund - and they are the most helpful people, and capable of explaining their platform to anyone in a way that is easy to understand. And you get to live in Chicago, my old haunt. Say hello to the snow and Lake Michigan for me from somewhat sunny San Francisco.

I think it's important to support gender equality and, at some point, we'll have an equal enough distribution that we won't have to separate this into Gentlemen and Ladies (and we're missing people who identify as something else!) - but for the time being, let's interact with this question. I'm excited to see the results.

Who Are The Most Interesting Ladies on Google+?

Continuing with my #circlesplosion series, I need your help in putting together a list of the most interesting ladies on Google+.

If you're not familiar with #circlesplosion you can read up here - http://dustn.tv/circlesplosion/ - and catch up on the four other circles that have been curated and shared thus far.

In the comments below, please nominate your favorite g+gals (please +mention them so I can easily add them to a new circle) and tell us why you think they should be added to the circle. Some reasons would include:

- She is helpful- She is witty- She is insightful- She is informative- She is always on the cutting edge- She produces beautiful work- She is inspiring- She is funny

We're looking for the best of the best for these curated circles so that when they are shared they are of the greatest value to those who would like to add them. Please note that they must be active Google+ users to be included.

If I visit a profile that hasn't been updated regularly or is just posting random gifs with no attribution or intrinsic value, they will not be added to the circle. Quality over quantity is what we're shooting for.

I'll start off with my top 5 g+gals:

+Peg Fitzpatrick - she's inspiring, helpful, insightful, and fun!

+Kimberly Reynolds - also very helpful, insightful, fun and incredibly considerate and caring!

+Rebekah Radice - a great source for #socialmedia related content - one of the best curators I know!

+Daria Musk - the original g+ rockstar - an inspiring story that continues to unfold. She's both inspirational and entertaining.

So lets get this rolling! I'll give this a day to let nominations roll in and tomorrow night will cap off the new circle and share it here on Google+. I'll also add it to the #circlesplosion anchor blog post.

#sharedcircles ﻿___I think it's important to support gender equality and, at some point, we'll have an equal enough distribution that we won't have to separate this into Gentlemen and Ladies (and we're missing people who identify as something else!) - but for the time being, let's interact with this question. I'm excited to see the results.

What a time it is for Mizzou to turn 175. We recently had a fairly ugly look at the failure of our school to appropriately react to an alleged rape scenario, and it wasn't the best feeling in the world. From my experience in college, you are taught to be proud of your alma mater. You celebrate the sporting endeavors, great academic achievements, research advancements, remarkable alumni, cultural progress and the renown of your institution's prestige in areas of excellence.

They don't really prepare you to face moments of abject disappointment. And so you give feedback, if you choose to do so. "We aren't proud of how you handled that," or "Someone should have known better!" and you hope that instead of stagnantly accepting their error, that they... more »

What a time it is for Mizzou to turn 175. We recently had a fairly ugly look at the failure of our school to appropriately react to an alleged rape scenario, and it wasn't the best feeling in the world. From my experience in college, you are taught to be proud of your alma mater. You celebrate the sporting endeavors, great academic achievements, research advancements, remarkable alumni, cultural progress and the renown of your institution's prestige in areas of excellence.

They don't really prepare you to face moments of abject disappointment. And so you give feedback, if you choose to do so. "We aren't proud of how you handled that," or "Someone should have known better!" and you hope that instead of stagnantly accepting their error, that they move to make sure things like that don't happen again.

I also wasn't prepared to feel as proud as I did when one of our star defensemen came out the other day with these words, "I came to tell the world I'm an openly proud gay man," and "I just want to make sure I could tell my story the way I want to tell it. I just want to own my truth." I'm also proud of the team for letting Michael Sam tell his story, there are so many people on that team - but we haven't heard about it until now? A pretty amazing accomplishment. Movie studios can't even keep their scripts and movies unleaked for very long!

The support Michael Sam has received has been overwhelmingly positive. And I'm sure he's gotten way more eloquent shows of support from other journalists, political figures, cultural icons, news bastions etc - but good luck in the draft, big guy - and thanks for being who you are.

M-I-Z!

The cartoon below, and an excellent opinion piece can be found here: http://www.drewlitton.com/?p=7019

I hope you'll join me and Hangout with all of these other incredibly smart people (who, for some reason, allowed me to join them) as we talk about social media and its various subtopics. We hope to be answering questions, responding to hate mail, and providing some free (perhaps unwanted) advice to the wee masses that decide to give us patronage.

If that doesn't sound exciting enough, at least you'll learn how to pronounce "Enge", "Traphagen" and "Harasewych" which... will be helpful at some point in your lives, I'm sure!

Social Media Hangout: A Brand New HOA SeriesBrought to you by the Social Media CommunitiesWe'll talk about what's most important to you. No topic is too big for this series. Look forward to in-depth discussions about top posts and topics in the Social Media communities, special guests, surprise giveaways and prizes, interviews, and even some AMA-style Q&A sessions with your favorite Google+ users and thought leaders!

Coming March 2014Sundays at 3:00 pm ET (12:00 pm PT)

Be sure to check out all the communities at SMhangout.com:strategy.smhangout.comprofessionals.smhangout.comcreative.smhangout.comdiscussions.smhangout.com

Of course, our home base is Google+, but that doesn't mean we leave the other networks behind. Find us on Facebook and Twitter:http://facebook.com/smhangoutshttp://twitter.com/smhangouts

#smhangout #smcommunities ﻿___I hope you'll join me and Hangout with all of these other incredibly smart people (who, for some reason, allowed me to join them) as we talk about social media and its various subtopics. We hope to be answering questions, responding to hate mail, and providing some free (perhaps unwanted) advice to the wee masses that decide to give us patronage.

If that doesn't sound exciting enough, at least you'll learn how to pronounce "Enge", "Traphagen" and "Harasewych" which... will be helpful at some point in your lives, I'm sure!

It is a distinct honor to congratulate Global Youth United as the recipient of January's LittleBigFund. You all raised over $730 together to give this fantastic nonprofit and I'm sure they look forward to using it. When talking to their director, GYU had this to say about why they need the fund:

"GYU aims to increase its student participation rate, refine curriculum development, hire a full-time Executive Director and staff, and plan for program enhancement and expansion. The program that we provide is vital in filling the gaps in youth learning and development and we want to continue providing positive alternatives to high school youth, engaging them with role models, and empowering them to become leaders in their communities, that is why we need LittleBigFund’s help!!!”

The LittleBigFund is all about empowering you, a totally normal person, to work with others and turn lots of little actions into one big one. Small actions matter so much when they're combined and I'm thrilled every month we do that through The LittleBigFund. GYU is such a fantastic organization that truly engaged their community to win the fund this month. I dream of a day where we can raise enough to split the fund between all three featured nonprofits, but, until then, I'm so happy to help out at least one.

Next month's theme starts tomorrow! Is February the month you start giving back?

You can read their story on our website here: https://littlebigfund.org/np/global-youth-united/﻿___Thanks for all of your help everyone!